A groundbreaking archaeological discovery in the Krumlov Forest has shed new light on prehistoric life, revealing a startling glimpse into ancient mining practices dating back over 6,000 years. Researchers have unearthed the remains of two women and a newborn buried deep within Shaft No. 4—part of one of the largest prehistoric chert mining complexes in Europe.
The burials, associated with the Late Lengyel culture (4340–4050 BCE), offer a rare and detailed window into the harsh realities and complex rituals of Neolithic society. The remains were found to be those of two adult females and a full-term newborn, with one skeleton showing signs of childhood malnutrition and pronounced muscular attachments.
The discovery challenges long-held assumptions about gender roles in prehistoric mining. “Both women showed significant spinal stress, Schmorl’s nodes, and even spondylolysis,” said Dr. Zdeněk Tvrdý, lead anthropologist on the study. These are consistent with carrying heavy loads, possibly while working in a forward-bent posture typical of mining.
Ancient DNA analysis revealed a genetic relationship between the two women—possibly sisters—and confirmed they were locals who consumed a protein-rich diet uncommon in the region’s Neolithic populations. The researchers suggest these females were likely active laborers in the mine, potentially forced into hard labor due to their physical frailty and social status.
Hyper-realistic 3D modelling techniques allowed for precise cranial measurements, genetic phenotyping, and archaeological textile evidence-based reconstructions of the women’s faces. These lifelike models humanize history, allowing researchers to look into the eyes of two individuals who lived, suffered, and worked thousands of years ago.
The Krumlov Forest has been reinterpreted as a sacred landscape, possibly a symbolic gateway to the underworld. The burials may represent reconciliation rituals—returning the dead, or even the miners themselves, back to the earth.
Source: https://arkeonews.net/ancient-sister-miners-discovered-ritual-burial-reveals-hard-lives-of-prehistoric-women